Question

My toddler hates having his photo taken professionally. What should I do?

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In the past, taking professional portraits with my son has been great fun. But this year we've taken him to a few different places to try to get a holiday portrait, and he freaks out every time. Even when he establishes a comfortable feeling with the photographer, he cries when he steps behind the camera. Any suggestions?

Mom Answers

As a professional photographer and a mom of a toodler, I'd recommend that you find a photographer who can/will photograph your child outside of the studio in a natural and relaxed setting. Sometimes the surroundings in a studio freak kids out. Go to the park or to your backyard-- someplace your kid feels comfortbale and have their portraits taken there. Not only will your child be more relaxed but your child will actually look like him/herself when you get the proofs!!!
I specialize in photographing children outside in natural settings. I'd advise to also choose a time when your child is well rested and has eaten. I like mornings best because they haven't had a whole day's worth of experiences. I advise moms to let them sleep as late as they can, then have a laid back breakfast. Bring a toy or lovey that will make them more relaxed. And, don't forget to bring a snack and a drink. Remember to always dress them in something they are comfortable in, not just something you think is cute.
Remember, moms, portraits are more than just pictures of your kids. They are important mementos and records of your children. That moment is frozen forever-- you child will never be that young again!!! The more pictures, the better. A good portrait of your child is worth more than almost anything else. It's something you will cherish for the rest of your life!!!

I am a photographer as well & let me tell you it is not uncommon for a child to be scared. Its relatively dark...& to a toddler that has a world that her is being increasingly aware of, its not to hard to understand why they arent exactly trusting of people they do not see ona regular basis. Here are my best tips.
NEVER TAKE A CHILD FOR PICTURES WITHIN 10 DAYS OF A DOCTORS VISIT. Between the ages of 12-30 months they will think we are the Doctor ESPECIALLY if the photographer uses a table method. Putting them up on the table triggers bad Doctor memories!
TAKE PICTURES THE NIGHT BEFORE. Say something cute liek "say cheese"...even if they cant say cheese...and make sure its fun!! Bring the camera with you the next day & hold the camera to your face & play like you did the night before....they will understand its picture fun time then!!
ALWAYS BRING THEIR FAVORITE TOY. Seeing the photographer with their trusty friend can really help.
NEVER EVER PRESSURE YOUR CHILD....or show signs of anger that they are not performing.....think of yourself....do you always have ON days??? Yelling & telling your child that they better smile....NEVER WORKS.. you will get forced smiles at best & you will make it even harder to get good pictures in the future. Accept that it just might not happen that day & dont be mad at the photographer either!!
SOMETIMES POUTS ARE THE BEST PICTURES!! Sometimes you dont need a smile!! Take a look at some of the pictures in my Album of my daughter....she isnt smileing in all of them & I love them. The serious looks & pouts are so cute!!http://babiesonline.com/babies/o/ourbabygirlaubrey/
TELL THE PHOTOGRAPHER WHAT GAMES HE/SHE LIKES....like peek a boo....or BOOO...or being tickled. Peek a boo & making kissy noises work really well.
A seasoned photographer will help you through the session....but remember...if your child is screaming bloody murder for a few mins....you might just want to re schedual so you wont get a red tear stained face!!

We recently had the same problem with our 16 month old girl. She freaked out on two separate attempts, but the third time she was ok. The difference the last time was that no one touched her or physically put her somewhere. The photographer had take out a hat box (ideally for her to sit on but she ended up kneeling beside it) and Ally really wanted to see it so she went up next to it and started banging on it and the photographer just started shooting. We kept changing props to keep her interested and ended up getting a few good shots. My advice is to always schedule a time when you think your child will be happiest. I scheduled for about 1 1/2 hrs. after her nap so she got up, played a little, we went to the mall, had a snack then did the pictures. I really think letting her find her own way to the position for the picture also helped her feel more comfortable and not being forced or held in one spot which is scary for her. Also, if you can take your child to the studio a few times before the pictures are going to be taken so he'll start to feel comfortable with the people, the toys and seeing others get their photos done it might help.

Take portraits yourself at home. It's easier, cheaper, and I get much better pictures than when I take my little girl to Sears or Penny's. Invest in a good digital camera (the Kodak EasyShare camera is of good quality and affordable), photo software (like Photoshop or Photo Explosion) to add cool effects, and a printer designed to print photos. Next, pick a time of day when your child is happy (mine is happiest mid-morning). Pick an area in your home that has natural light. If you want to take some outdoor shots, light shade will give you the best lighting. Then, set up the background, remembering that simple is best (you're taking a picture of your son, not the background!). Solid color tableclothes or sheets work well as backdrops. Drape them over some stools or dining chairs. Squat/sit/lay on your stomach to get down to your child's level (views from above are cute for one or two pictures, but most of them you'll want at his eye-level). Now comes the hard part. QUIT BEING MOM! Your job right now is to be fun photographer lady. Relax and have fun so your son will relax and have fun. Play peek-a-boo, get him to say silly things, fan him with a magazine/newspaper to get him to smile and look at the camera. You will need to take a LOT of pictures to get one or two usable ones (which is why I suggest the digital camera). The more often you take his portrait, the more he will relax, AND the better you will get at it.

I'm a non practicing professional photographer (now SAHM) as well and my dd abhored having her portraits taken by myself and my peers (she is okay with candids). I finally figured out that she will allow her photo to be taken when the camera barks (yes, as in a dog). Many cameras have a number of bells and whistles that are turned off as standard practice, including sound effects - ask your photographer about this. In making the camera "bark" everytime a picture was taken, dd began to have fun and actually started to "pose" for me.

Even as an infant, my daughter was reluctant to cooperate, smile or look at the camera.
I told photographer I wanted "casual" shots - not "formal", which made it more relaxing. As she was semi-cooperating, I would pull a favorite toy or lovie from my bag... of course first with a excitement builder introduction "oh my goodness!!....Look what I found in the bag... who do you think is in here.... and make a ordeal of revealing it. First ask the photographer where the bag should be to reveal who/what is in the bag!) The looks of surprise and excitement made THE GREATEST shots !! - and her security "bunny" - who does not typically leave the house - made a real personable and memorable photo of her hugging it-just acting herself, which is what I wanted. After a couple rounds of bunny hide and seek to get a couple laughs - and more great shots.
Those were the best shots of her ever, #1 favorite is her lying on her back acting silly...

My 23 month old doesn't like to have his picture taken. He tells me "nope" or hides his face when I ask him to get his picture taken or if I get the camera out. In order to get a picture of him, I say to him, "Don't you smile." He smiles beautifully. Reverse psychology works wonders on him.

First stay away from places like Sears & JC Penney, they are not trained to take portraits and will only make your efforts more difficult. Don't get me wrong they're fine places for kids that want to cooperate. I would suggest taking pictures at home. I use a Casio EX-S600--that's right only 6 MP--and have taken way better pictures than I have ever got from higher end studios. Use some natural light, say across the room or beside a large window and do something unexpected. I've put my babies in real pumpkins, let them play on a Tonka truck that's normally only allowed outside, take them to the park, take them outside strip down to a diaper and let them eat something really messing (think giant watermelon slice, big bowl of noodles, popsicle, etc.). The list goes on and on. Use the rule of thirds and take plenty of shots at their eye level, also get closer than you think you should. For my 2 yr old I've also noticed that it works well to let him see each picture after it's taken

My 23 month old daughter totally freaked out when we tried to get her 18 month shots taken. The photographer at JCPenny's studios was great and very patient, but my daughter won the battle. I ended up using my digital camera at home right after we got home from the studio and she hammed it up. I took our favorite shot to a camera specialty store (Wolf Camera) and they were able to blow the shot up to all the sizes we needed to share with family and friends for about the same price the package at Penny's would have cost. Of course we only got one pose, but I'd rather have one happy pose than a ton of tear filled ones. We are going to try for 2 year old portraits at Penny's again, this time we are going to do a family shot as well as her alone...we'll see. If not, we'll fall back on the good ol' digital camera again or at least until this phase of toddlerhood is over!!!

i personaly like to take pics of her daily.... at least 10 difrent shots choose the best one of each day fix them out with photoshop or any picture program and there you got many diffrent poses with diffrent clothing and its a day by day thing so you can even see how there growing... its so funny now that im a mother i carry my camara and at least 2 set of batterys everywhere even when im giving her a shower. lol not even when i was single in the clubs i carried one 24/7 lol

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